About storytelling in Michigan or including Michigan storytellers. This includes links to find local Michigan, regional, & national storytelling organizations. Other issues of interest to lovers of storytelling in Michigan also are found here. Be sure to visit the Bulletin Board page for the latest information.
An important part of this website is the regular posting & archiving of issues of the email newsletter, "MI Story."

August 1, Richmond, 1:00Judy Sima tells stories from "Around the World and Home Again" for families as part of the Summer Reading at the Lois Wagner Memorial Library, 35200 Division St.; Richmond, MI. For information call Debra Fejedelem at 586-727-2665, fejedeld@libcoop.net

August 4, Detroit4:00 pm doors/7:30 pm stories

Detroit Moth StorySLAM. Arrive early the first Thursday of every month to get a seat. Cliff Bell’s Bar, 2030 Park near ComericaPark to get a seat. Enjoy snacks or dinner and drinks while you wait.$5 tickets at the door.Info: http://www.themoth.org/storyslams_detroit This month’s theme is “Food.”

Batt Burns (Ireland) and Michigan’s Irish storyteller, Yvonne Healy return as featured tellers in the multi-arts Dublin Irish Festival. Batt offers lectures on “The Irish Language” and concerts for adults and older children. Yvonne adds a lecture-demo on “The Irish Storytelling Tradition” to performances of “Ballyhoo” for adults and “Blarney” for older children and adults. It was a great time last year: an easy drive to a lush, green park. This festival is clean, well-run, affordable with music, food, cultural events, and shopping galore. There’s even a separate kiddy area with storytelling for kids and a cultural re-enactment area.Info:www.DublinIrishFestival.org

August 6, Gladwin 2:00 pm

Something different is offered at the annual M.A.S.T. concert. This year, the Mid-Michigan Area Story Tellers, are sharing time with The Mainstreet Misfits, a 60’s & 70’s folk and pop band. It Is a beautiful setting and always a great time.StoneCottageGardens, 3740 Willford Rd., Gladwin, MI, 48624.Info: sdcagarner@yahoo.com.

August 6, Livonia

Scottish stories presented throughout the day from 10 am. Tellers from the NOCS guild will be found at the Wee Bairns Area of the Highland Games Festival. Greenmead Historical Park, 20501 Newburgh Rd. (at 8 Mile Rd). Info & tickets at www.highlandgames.com or purchase at gate. Children under 12 are free.

August 7, Detroit2:00Sticks and Stones and Story Bones. Join eclectic mid-Michigan performer Dawn Daniels, an artist of the spoken and sung word, for this program exploring and celebrating the art of stories and storytelling. Detroit Institutue Of Arts, 5200 Woodward Avenue. www.DIA.orgAugust 8 - 12, Farmington Hills

Concert with storyteller/musician, Michael Reno Harrell, $12 suggested donation with a portion of the ticket sales going to "Desert Angels" who make "loving care packages" for our troops overseas. (Food will be available for purchase beginning at 5:00 for those who want to hang out and talk to Michael between the workshop and the concert.) Diamond M Stables, 3368 Breezewood Ct., Ortonville, MI48462 contact Lori Tesch, Manager, Diamond M Music, ltes25@comcast.net or 989-714-1898

Barbara Schutzgruber presents “Beaver - Michigan’s ‘Gold’ Rush,” Lac Ste. Clair Voyageur Encampment at Metro Beach Metropark. Empires were built, wars were fought and adventure ruled as fortunes were made and lost... all because of one amazing creature - the beaver. Using a lively mix of factual information, rollicking stories and hands-on activity, Barbara sets the stage for entertainment and enjoyable education about the beaver, its encounters with humans and how it STILL shapes Michigan today!! (MetrobeachNatureCenter) 800-477-3172

“Kerry Tales:Come to the Tent with Mother Goose” Storyteller, Trudy Bulkley, entertains as Mother Goose with rhymes and stories. 1/2 hour program for young and old alike.*September 11 location is Children's Tent, Kerrytown Bookfest.

“Storytime Romp” with Yvonne Healy delights ages 3-5 with games, stories, songs and play.Free for caregiver and child. Located at the Williamstown Public Library, 201 School Street and presented by the Capital Area District Libraries.Info:517.655.1191

WELCOME!

Here you will find information about storytelling in Michigan or including Michigan storytellers. This includes links to find local Michigan storytelling, national, & regional organizations. Other issues of interest to lovers of storytelling in Michigan also are found here. Be sure to visit theBulletin Board page for the latest information.

An important part of this website is the regular posting & archiving of issues of MI Story. MI Story is published by: Yvonne Healy, Editor-in-Chief; Judy Sima, Distribution Editor; Lois Sprengnether Keel, Webmaster.

To view the current issue or a past issue of MI Story, click on the Recent Posts of interest.

51% or greater Spoken Word/Narrative;

open to the General Public;

feature either Michigan storyteller or Michigan location.

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Transition of MI Story Archive

This site has moved to Blogger while keeping the domain name of http://www.michiganstorytelling.org . Because all issues prior to this move were added at one time, the listing of the first two years' issues is misleading. To find each individual month for those initial two years, look under April, 2010.

About Me

For the best overview of my work, go to my website at http://www.LoiS-sez.com, however you will find me in many places beyond that!

My storytelling takes you Around the World & Back Through Time with folktales to match your topic or historical reenactments. While most of my storytelling has been in Michigan, I've told in other states, the territory of Puerto Rico, plus Canada, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, & St. Kitts. My Theatre undergraduate degree influences my storytelling & graduate degree in Library Science leads me to research widely. Starting in 1970, I've years of storytelling experience. Until 2006, this was combined with librarianship. That year I was accepted into the MI performing arts touring directory & left Mount Clemens Public Library (where I was in charge of Children's Services) for full-time storytelling. My current listing with MI Arts & Humanities Directory was renewed & runs through 2018. My passion for supporting storytelling includes storytelling organizations, hosting http://MichiganStorytelling.org & founded Mt.C. Raconteurs & North Oakland County Storytellers, serving their 1st 2 yrs. as president. I was also a long-time active member of Flint Area Story Tellers. FAST and the Raconteurs are currently dormant. I also love to teach storytelling. I believe exposure to storytelling is critical to the acceptance of this art & foundational to language skills. Online I am an assistant administrator for the international network of storytellers at http://professionalstoryteller.ning.com. I'm the National Storytelling Network's Michigan State Liaison and for many years was on the Board of Youth, Educators, Storytellers (Y.E.S.!) Alliance as their webmaster. I also am a certified WordWeaving instructor, a teaching method especially suited to teachers & librarians, but useful for any beginning storytellers. I've training from V.S.A. Arts & have done both residency & special event work for this organization focused on bringing the arts to the disabled. I wrote a portion of the book, Tell the World; Storytelling Across Language Barriers, compiled & edited by Margaret Read MacDonald. My chapter was about telling with Sign Language.

Besides my website there's my blog of research topics related to my work at Storytelling + Research = LoiS and now includes a Civil War Sesquicentennial blog, Michigan's "Fighting Fifth" Infantry, where I posted the newspaper articles about this regiment which has been little documented, but was part of the reason Abraham Lincoln said "Thank God for Michigan!" as they engaged in most major battles of the Civil War. I hope you visit both the blog and my website, http://www.LoiS-sez.com.